[The potentials and outlook for the surgical treatment of complicated injuries and tumors of the spine by total vertebrectomy].

The use of vertebrectomy in 9 patients with long-standing complicated dislocation fractures of vertebrae and defects of tissues of the spinal cord from 1 up to 12 cm has shown that the operation of removal of up to 3 vertebrae is technically quite realizable. Clinical results however are yet minimum, which requires further search for methods of stimulation of regenerative processes in the zone of connection of the spinal cord stumps. The use of the method for treatment of 4 patients with tumors of the vertebrae has revealed a number of problems requiring a somewhat different approach both to the performance of the operation and to the following fixation of the backbone. Possible variants to settle the problems are proposed. Good prospects of this trend are noted.